Reviewed by Matt Lockwood

Smallfish may be new to the UK music scene, but in the Ballymena area of County Antrim these five young guys are considered established members of the youth worship fraternity. This five-track CD is the fruit of five years touring and worship leading. Their website gives a full history, biographies, lyrics, MP3 demos and tour dates, plus you can discuss their music with other visitors. So what's the album like? Well, think early All Star United (think very early). The songs are musically interesting but not very adventurous, the lyrics mainly focus on the writer's desire to get past personal failings and live more for God than self, most obvious in the tracks "Picking Up the Pieces", "Holding On To You" and "Distorted Aeon" (your guess is as good as mine!). The first track, "Insulticide", tackles head-on the issues of bullying and racism, and no prizes for guessing what "Forbidden Fruit" is about! What does come through is the band's passion to reach young people with the Gospel and their love for God. Unfortunately, this album is let down by weak lead vocals and a less-than-tight and samey production. Missing off band details and lyrics from the inlay doesn't help either. These guys deserve a wider audience and are set to make a huge impact but need to put a bit more effort into producing a quality recording that won't put someone off from going to a gig.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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